		<div class="wpcnt">
			<div class="wpa">
				<span class="wpa-about">Advertisements</span>
				<div class="u top_amp">
							<amp-ad width="300" height="265"
		 type="pubmine"
		 data-siteid="109460728"
		 data-section="1">
		</amp-ad>
				</div>
			</div>
		</div><header>
<h6 class="title"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>NJ Superior Court Judge, John Russo, asked rape victim if she knew she could stop sex assault, if she crossed her legs </strong></span></h6>
<h6 class="title"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Complaint before judicial board alleges judge Russo made comment during restraining order 2016 hearing</strong></span></h6>
<h6 class="title"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>The plaintiff was seeking the order against a man she accused of forcing her to have sex</strong></span></h6>
<h6 class="title"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Complaint filed this week alleges Russo &#8220;was discourteous and <span style="color: #000000;">mistreated the victim&#8221;</span></strong> by asking her if she kept her legs closed</span></h6>
<h6 class="title"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>The judicial panel also accused Russo of other instances of violating rules on judicial conduct </strong>including the attempted use of his judicial office to influence scheduling of a personal legal matter he had pending in County court</span></h6>
<h6 class="title"><span style="color: #000000;">Failure to recuse himself in a spousal support matter involving a couple with which he acknowledged having a personal relationship</span></h6>
<h6 class="title"><span style="color: #000000;">As presiding judge, improperly communicated with only one of two parties to a paternity matter before him</span></h6>
<h6 class="title"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Ocean County Assignment Judge Marlene Lynch Ford barred Russo from judicial duties until he passes a psychological evaluation </strong></span></h6>
<h6 class="title"><span style="color: #000000;"><strong>Russo who is challenging the allegations, has sued Judge Lynch F</strong><strong>ord</strong></span></h6>
</header>
<div id="article-entry" class="entry" data-use-autolinker="true">
<div data-page="1" data-page-hidden="0" data-use-autolinker="false">
<h6><img class="alignnone wp-image-291255" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/John-F.-Russo-2.jpg" alt="John F. Russo 2.jpg" width="690" height="518" /><strong>NJ judicial board has accused superior court judge John F. Russo [photo], of mistreating a victim whom he asked if she knew crossing her legs could have stopped the assault</strong></h6>
<p>A judicial board accused a New Jersey judge of violating rules of conduct as a jurist.<br />
One of the allegations said Russo was discourteous to and mistreated an alleged rape victim.<br />
State Superior Court Judge John Russo allegedly, asked a woman during a court hearing if she tried closing her legs to prevent an alleged sexual assault. Judge Russo made the comment during a 2016 hearing on a restraining order the woman was seeking against a man she accused of forcing her to have sex.<br />
According to a transcript contained in the complaint, when the woman described her encounter with the man, Russo asked her, &#8220;Do you know how to stop somebody from having intercourse with you?&#8221;<br />
When the woman answered affirmatively and said one method would be to run away, Russo continued, &#8220;Close your legs? Call the police? Did you do any of those things?&#8221;<br />
The complaint filed this week alleged Russo &#8220;mistreated the victim.&#8221;<br />
The panel also accused him of other instances of violating rules on judicial conduct, including the attempted to use his judicial office to influence scheduling of a personal legal matter he had pending in Burlington County.<br />
A third allegation said Russo failed to recuse himself in a spousal support matter involving a couple with which he acknowledged personally knowing both parties. In that case, according to the complaint, Russo reversed an order by another judge who had issued a bench warrant for the man unless he paid $10,000 in back alimony. Russo ultimately reduced that to $300.<br />
The final allegation accused Russo as presiding judge, of improperly having communications with only one of two parties to a paternity matter before him.</p>
<h6><strong><img class="alignnone wp-image-291257" src="https://konniemoments.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Marlene-Lynch-Ford-1.jpg" alt="Marlene Lynch Ford 1.jpg" width="659" height="494" />Ocean County Assignment Judge Marlene Lynch Ford has barred Russo from judicial duties until he passes a psychological evaluation. </strong></h6>
<p>Russo&#8217;s attorney David F. Corrigan, said Wednesday the judge looks forward to a hearing on the matter: &#8220;We are pleased that Judge Russo will have a public hearing regarding the allegations which have been raised against him,&#8221; said Corrigan.<br />
&#8220;We have respect for both the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct, as well as the process,&#8221; Corrigan said. &#8220;Therefore, we don&#8217;t believe it would be appropriate to have any further comment, pending the hearing.&#8221;<br />
Corrigan said, adding that his client has 20 days to respond to the complaint before a public hearing is scheduled. He remains on paid administrative leave, Corrigan said.<br />
Russo, who is assigned to Ocean County, has been on paid administrative leave since last year stemming from a separate matter.<br />
The <a href="https://www.app.com/story/news/local/courts/2018/03/27/complaint-charges-judge-russo-violating-judicial-code-conduct/463655002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Asbury Park Press </a> reports that the embattled judge was barred from his judicial duties last April and was later placed on paid administrative leave from his $165,000-a-year seat on the bench after he refused to submit to a mental-health evaluation ordered by Ocean County Assignment Judge Marlene Lynch Ford.<br />
Ford revealed in a court filing last year that among the reasons she barred Russo from the bench was because his law clerk claimed he threw a file at her, as much as his shabby treatment of litigants.<br />
After Ford barred him from the bench, Russo filed a workplace discrimination lawsuit in federal court against Judge Ford and another Superior Court Judge, Madelin F. Einbinder.</p>
</div>
</div>

Judge asked victim ‘if she crossed legs to stop sex assault’ – NJ Superior Court Judge John Russo in crosshairs
